Polythene bags banned at supershops from Oct 1, says environment advisor

Supershops will instead offer jute or cloth bags for customers to purchase, says Syeda Rizwana Hasan

Polythene shopping bags and polypropylene shopping bags will no longer be available at supershops and cannot be handed out to customers from Oct 1, says Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the advisor for environment, forests, and climate change.

Supershops will instead offer jute or cloth bags for customers to purchase, she said. Young people and students will be involved in the process, she said.

This ban on shopping bags will be widely publicised in print and electronic media from Sept 15, with public notices published in newspapers.

The advisor’s remarks came after a meeting with stakeholders on how to formulate an action plan for the programme to implement the polythene bag ban at the ministry on Monday.

The Ministry of Textiles and Jute will meet with all the supershops within a week to take the necessary measures to ensure the supply of jute shopping bags.

The Environment Department will collaborate with ESDO to organise a fair for manufacturers of jute and textile bags made from alternative, eco-friendly materials by Sept 30. Supershop authorities and producers will be able to discuss demand and supply issues at the fair, Hasan said.